Waste collection in EUROPE : Keeping waste collections going Historically, Rhodes was famous for the , one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Today, the resort in is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island and despite the economic crisis the authorities need to ensure its waste collection services continue to operate efficiently. Tim Byrne reports.

o the south of the city of Rhodes on the island of Rhodes lies the Bay of Faliraki in the district of Kalithea and built along the bay are a large number of hotels; not to mention Faliraki with its bustling nightlife. TThe amount of waste generated in this resort amounts to fifty tonnes a day, mostly produced from the hotels, apartments, bars and tavernas and the collection of waste in this district is carried out by the municipality of Kalithea. The municipality operates three waste collection vehicles, two of which service the hotels and the town of Faliraki, while the latter services the villages that lie inland. The vehicles employed to collect the waste range from a Renault Premium two axle chassis, which has a mounted Phoenix (2) body of 16 cubic metre capacity, to a Mercedes Axor two axle chassis with the same Phoenix (2) bodywork. The third vehicle is a Nissan two axle chassis with Norba ‘K’ Series bodywork. Kaoussis, the main supplier of waste collection vehicles in , supplied all the waste compaction bodies. In addition, Kaoussis also mounted their own bin lifting equipment to the three refuse collection vehicles. This comprises a comb lift to empty containers from 120 litres–1100 litres. Each lifter also has trunnion arms fitted to it so that 1100 litre containers can also be emptied by this means. Along the public highways are communal collection points with 120, 240, 660 and 1100 The Bay of Faliraki is a busy tourist resort for holidaymakers as it enjoys sunshine for ten months of the year litre containers. Tourists from apartments, bars up the steep incline to the tip face of the landfill collection vehicles. This vehicle consists of a generated by the Olympic games in Athens. and tavernas deposit their waste into these where the driver discharges its load. tipper with a crane to lift the bottle banks and With the existing economic situation in which containers to await collection. Plant machinery then covers the waste with discharge their contents into the collection Greece finds itself, it begs the question: Are The hotels are supplied with 660 and 1100 soil to prevent it blowing off site. vehicle. Once the collection vehicle has finished private sector contractors prepared to take the litre containers into which they place their waste. The vehicle then returns to the weighbridge its round it delivers its load to Perme’s waste risk of operating waste collection contracts, with Due to the warm temperatures, each hotel area and the driver collects his waste transfer transfer station in Kalithea. The glass is collected the possibility of not being paid? has a cold room where they can store several note from the weighbridge operator. by private hauliers and shipped to the mainland Despite this, the municipality of Kalithea of their 660 litre containers. Food waste is The landfill site has been operational since for reprocessing. A rear loading refuse collection operates a professional public sector waste deposited into these containers by employees 2005 and is expected to only have a few vehicle also collects the paper and cardboard collection service for Faliraki. Perhaps if all the at the hotels. The cold room is fitted with a months’ capacity left. waste and delivers the collected material to the Greek public sector was run so effectively, there sealed door and the waste is chilled by a At the present time, neither a new landfill site waste transfer station where it is baled awaiting would be no need to outsource all the country’s thermostat to eradicate the possibility of the has been provided, nor has an alternative waste transport for reprocessing. local authority operated waste collection waste decaying in the warm temperatures while treatment infrastructure been built. The existing Since the economic crisis hit Greece, power services to the private sector? RWW it awaits collection, preventing a health threat to landfill is built to a sanitary specification and has devolved to the largest city or town on each tourists and hotel employees. boasts leachate treatment facilities as well as island. On the island of Rhodes this is Rhodes To try and cut the local deficit caused by the methane being flared off site. town. Although each municipality has its own recession, the municipality double shift two of its Near to the entrance to the site, and located waste collection vehicles, each municipality now waste collection vehicles. The waste collection near the weighbridge, is an area where has to seek guidance from Rhodes town before crews consist of a driver and two loaders. waste electronic and electrical equipment is they can make any local decision. The loaders place the containers to the rear stored. This waste is collected by authorised Rhodes town has decided that privatisation is of the refuse collection vehicle for emptying, transporters and delivered to authorised the way forward for waste collection services. and also load any excess waste into the treatment facilities on the mainland, or shipped So far, there are two private waste collection refuse collection vehicle that has built up from by authorised exporters for processing to its contractors collecting municipal solid waste tourism from both the hotels and the communal country of origin. Wood waste is also stored on behalf of municipalities, for example, Helesi collection points. The wearing of high visibility here for reprocessing, while contaminated wood (Hellenic Environmental Systems Industry) in clothing by operatives is not enforced in Greece, waste is shredded on site to pre-treat it before it Lalysos and and Perme (Environmental so none of the operatives I saw wore protective is sent to landfill. Transport) in Archangelos and . It is also clothing, apart from gloves. Recycling infrastructure is also increasing believed that the waste collection service in The refuse collection vehicles collect two on the island. This idea was initiated by the Kalithea and Faliraki may be outsourced for the loads of waste from the hotels every day. private sector waste management companies season to Helesi, but as yet the contract has Once the vehicle is full, the vehicle and crew in Greece. Perme (Environmental Transport), not started. Helesi is reported to have a proven travel to the sanitary landfill site in the centre a mainland contractor, has rolled out a glass track record in collecting municipal waste on of the Island. Upon arrival, the waste collection recycling and cardboard waste collection behalf of Greek municipalities. vehicles enter the weighbridge and the vehicles’ services to hotels, bars, tavernas and shops. The company was also involved in a joint gross weight and payload are recorded. Once Each hotel is supplied with a bottle bank and venture in 2004 with Spanish waste collection weighed, the refuse collection vehicle proceeds it is emptied twice a week by one of Perme’s contractor, Urbaser, in collecting all the waste Hotels have a cold room in which they store food waste

8 July 14 2011 www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk Recycling& WASTE WORLD